God’s Word as Light

A woman I know shared in a Facebook group her struggles with stress and the physical effects this has on her body. Her request for advice, opened a floodgate of confessions from others who were similarly dealing with anxiety and stress. Being a secular group, the advice ranged from guidance on diet, walks in nature and exercise to yoga and meditation. The original poster admitted that her strategy so far had been avoidance and replacement activities like reading or shopping. It is a sign of our age how many underlying issues our societies are dealing with. Behind the seeming smoothness of life in our comfortable Western settings lurk a lostness and confusion that may be held at bay with self-help techniques but cannot entirely be resolved. To be fair, neither are Christians exempt from such difficulties, nor do many of them deal with these any differently from non-Christians.

The Word as Light

Into our perplexed and, at times, anguished reality enters John’s Gospel with the message of hope: Jesus, the Word, is Life and Light (John 1:4). The association of God’s Word with light is a long-standing one in the Old Testament, perhaps best known from Psalm 119:105, ‘Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’. Light is a metaphor for understanding (Ps 119:130), helping us see reality as it truly is (Ps 19:8; John 1:9). What does this mean in practical terms? The Old Testament affirms that those who live by God’s instructions, as revealed in His Word, will have the right perception and perspective on their lives and on the world. They will know how to tackle the stresses, anxieties and challenges they face in ways that resolve difficulties in a lasting way. When Jesus identifies Himself later as the Light of the World (John 8:12), He is saying that He embodies what God’s Word has been teaching all along. Following someone’s example is always easier than working out complex instructions, as anyone who has tried to learn a new skill will know.

Opposition to the Light

However, here is the rub. Even though a well-respected member of Israel’s community, John the Baptist, pointed to Jesus as the Light (John 1:6-7) and Jesus Himself demonstrated His qualities as Light (John 1:9), He was neither ‘known’ (i.e. acknowledged, John 1:10), nor accepted – even by God’s people (John 1:11)! How could such a situation arise? Jesus later explains that the challenge of the Light is that it shines into dark corners, revealing actions and attitudes that are wrong (John 3:19-20). Facing unpalatable truths about ourselves is hard and if we were to acknowledge these, it would also require us to live differently. Sometimes, our perception is so warped because of our darkness, that the Light showing us a different path makes no sense at all (we cannot comprehend it; John 1:5). Like the woman in my initial example, we cannot face what is under the surface and endure light being shone on it.

When we come to the Light

Yet, when we allow God’s Light to shine into our lives, we are enabled to become new people, to have a new life that comes from God (John 1:12-13). This is true in the sense of being ‘born again’, a Christian term that expresses entering into a relationship with God, but also as an ongoing process of walking in the light. As Christians, we can be as guilty of hiding our darkness as non-Christians. We may not want to let God throw light on our sinful inclinations to live for ourselves but choose the comfortable options that do not require us to put ourselves out for others. We may wish to hide even from ourselves that we look for security in possessions, relationships or work or that our priorities for what we define as happiness overrule what God tells us would make us fulfilled. May the Light that is Jesus Christ help us realise that His way leads to true peace and joy and awaken in us the desire to follow Him more faithfully.

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